Forbidden Sweetheart
by Xenien
Summary: After revealing his allegiance to the Imperial Capital through an assassination attempt on Najenda, Tatsumi's conflicting ideals lead him into the arms of a auburn-haired girl, whom he must now pay his debt to after saving his life. [AU/M for sexual content]
1. Chapter 1: Pilot

**[A/N]: Takes place in an alternate universe where Sayo, Ieyasu and Tatsumi were recruited into the Imperial Capital. Further details will be explained in later chapters, however the current time is episode 9 in the anime. Please read and review. It's greatly appreciated if you do.**

* * *

 _ **Pilot**_

In the relatively lit woods peace was everything. The sun rose high, marking noon and shining what it could below. A warm ray accompanied by light is cast down, raising the temperature and stabilizing it depending on the current position and weather relative to the goddess above. The population that lives on the remnants of her glow take it for granted and complain when it does not suit their preferred choice at the time. It continues to shoot down until a certain point has passed which relieves itself for another time.

Unfortunately, the goddess is not in favor of Tatsumi.

An explosion rocks beside him, a smoke and heat wave cover the surrounding area before gradually dispersing. A sizable amount of smoke seeps between and through the trees. Tatsumi shoots through the smoke, abruptly moving itself due to him replacing the area and proceeding to resume it's duty of dissipating in the air. Upon dispersion a small crater is revealed destroying the perfect light green image of the ground, replaced with a indented jagged circle of brown.

"Tch." Tatsumi grunted, racing against his own lifespan. His judgement failed him and he proceeded to endure the consequences, being easily spotted in the broad daylight. Even if in the woods, he can still be seen easily seen to the naked eye. To increase his speed, he leans forward while keeping his arms loose to his sides, although taking sharp turns every now and then in an attempt to throw Night Raid off his tail. He mentally cursed himself as he failed to eliminate Najenda, the significant figure behind Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army.

Maintaining his pace, he focused on getting out of the general area as quick as possible, keeping in mind that reinforcements were inbound.

Cannon fodder he would be forced to say, but these were real lives at stake for fighting what they believe is right. Esdeath would say it would buy him some time to return to the capital, to her or his companions.

 _"If they die, they were too weak."_ Tatsumi recalled Esdeath's speech. It was as such a permanent remark that she seemingly claims all the time when applicable, though he would disagree constantly. That thought makes him grit his teeth, but thinking about anything else at the moment would expose him. He shook his mind off it.

Using the dry dirt he skids to the right passed a tree, breaking off his original pattern of turning and running. Already knowing Night Raid's previously set up defenses, this should give Lubbock a minor slip.

After running for five minutes, he spots a boulder of rocks with one of his companions sitting down left of the boulders as if she was taking cover. Sighing quietly with relief before linking up. She turns her head and in reaction, gripping the bow and pulling the arrow back as far as she needed to. Aiming at the perceived assailant, she lowers her bow and flashes him a smile. He nods in return, and both of them start running in the direction of the capital.

"Where's Ieyasu?"

"He was caught in the green-haired guy's traps. He freed himself after a minute but was injured with multiple lacerations. I had to carry him to one of the guard platoons that were coming in." Sayo responded, though Tatsumi shook his head.

 _Platoons?_ He thought that the numbers in a platoon wouldn't be able to handle anyone from Night Raid. He's seen and experienced their strength firsthand and learnt not to underestimate them. However in comparison with his strength, he believed best case scenario he can injure one of them without his Imperial Arms. Lucky for Tatsumi, the one he had retrieved during the boat battle bolstered his strength and ability in combat. Taking an imperial arms and infiltrating Night Raid was easier than he thought.

Now he just needed to get out of the area and get into contact with Esdeath, but not before seeing all of his friends are safe. Upon Tatsumi's request, Sayo went ahead of him to reach the capital first. He didn't want her to get caught in a crossfire, especially when Night Raid is in an enraged state. He also wanted to head back to the Night Raid base but not without support. Last thing he needed was to get captured by the same organization he just betrayed.

Stopping for a quick breather, the area's wind shifts as Tatsumi begins to activate Incursio.

* * *

Hiding behind a tree, Incursio awaited quietly. The color of Incursio was not the gleaming silver and white it was, instead the armor was reflecting off a dark onyx shade and crimson eyes. The clothing that filled the gaps of the armor was replaced with a carbon fiber-like material. If one were to look at Incursio with a naked eye, the darker version gives off a uncompassionate and apathetic aura. It would even be mistaken as the shield and sword of the capital, for not Esdeath in place as the sadistic and fierce warrior she was.

Stomps fill the air and Incursio, while watching his previous vector of approach turns towards the direction of the capital.

The marching boots get louder and the visibility of armed Imperial Guards increases substantially as they climb up the hill. Behind them the capital shows off it's humongous size, a terrifyingly terrific sight to any and all from the country. Tatsumi spots the platoon split into a formation and is surprised with the level of discipline the troops exhibited, as well as their ability to remain focused and in unison. The platoon is split into three sections: front echelon, middle guard and rear echelon. The front echelon and rear echelon were armed with swords and basic armor, while the middle guard were armed with guns and what appeared to be a different form of armor that has yet to be seen. The standard helmet that covered the entirety of the head only covered the top, revealing the faces if it were not for the pure grey bandanas they wore. Only the whites of their eyes remain visible. The body armor that replaced the general standard is now apparently defunct to the middle echelon, as it is a digital vest that appear to be protruding outwards in four locations: on both sides, the chest and the back.

The front echelon was in a line while the middle guard was split into two lines with one figure in the middle, supposedly the platoon command.

Incursio smiled, standing up from his current location and walked towards the pathway of the inbound imperial guards. As they got closer, Incursio deactivated his cloak, revealing an armored-onyx figure. The platoon command from the middle echelon raised his right hand and formed it into a fist, halting the entire formation. The front echelon in unison take out their swords and assumed a guard position. Tatsumi eyed this sudden show of force, with him recounting the steps they took to achieve such. Their right foot forward and the sword pointing down and forward, and the middle section begins to take their place.

"What a magnificent show of force."

There appeared to be 15 members of the front echelon, with 7 in the middle assuming positions between the shoulders of the front echelon aiming at the onyx figure. The rear echelon was hidden behind a combined row of the front and middle sections, presumably guarding the rear of the formation. Suddenly, a yell was made from a middle guard.

"Hold! It's the general's lover."

...

Tatsumi face palmed himself, cringing at the fact that they referred to him as Esdeath's lover. Yes, she courted him and he accepted however terms like that shouldn't be used to refer an Imperial Arms user in the military. The platoon commander shook his head and proceeded on.

"Let's keep moving." The front echelon and the middle guard lowered their weapons and went back into the original formation before continuing their march towards the Night Raid base. Incursio steps out of the way to let the formation through, before following behind the rear echelon which faced the same direction. Albeit a bit slow, they were making fast progress back towards the Night Raid base.

As the Night Raid base faded into view, Tatsumi looked at the Night Raid base. There was a lack of activity, which was to be expected. After his betrayal, some of the members may have been sent out to deter the oncoming force while the others have destroyed some important items and evacuated. Approaching the front gate of the hideout, two more platoons of similar structure come from different directions.

All the platoon commanders stepped out of their formations and met near the front gate, while Tatsumi maintains the lookout on the surrounding rocks of the base. Drowning out the sound of the commanders talking to eachother and discussing a plan, Tatsumi focused and attempted to locate any Imperial Arms presence. A minute has passed and he doesn't feel anything, however he refuses to let his guard down.

An explosion rocks the front gate caused by a placed charge and one of the platoons rush into the dirt filled air where the gate used to be. Because of the size of the small gate, the front echelon and the middle guard separate from the original formation and reform inside. They start clearing the bottom floor while the other two platoons set up defensive positions on the outside. A fireteam of a middle guard split off from the defense and walked towards Tatsumi.

"Hey Tatsumi." One of the guards under a grey clad bandana. The guard pulling it down, he reveals himself to the Incursio-wielder. Remaining on his guard, he briefly turns towards the person who called him.

"Oh. Hey Takara." He calls his familiar with a nod proceeding back to eyeing the surrounding area. Curiosity arose as he gazes upon the differently armored figure, opening his mouth in regards to the origin and what type of armor it is before a yell is heard inside the Night Raid base, with most heads turning towards the direction.

"BOMB!"

Killing intent was now apparent before a large explosion emits from the base, seeping to the outside. The combination of hot and smoke rose above the trees and clouding up the air. A shockwave quickly followed that knocked all the soldiers with the exception of a special few especially Tatsumi sending them off the ground adjacent of the explosion. A few seconds pass before pieces of the base start raining upon them.

* * *

Opening his eyes instantly, Tatsumi coughs bucking slightly up. He was facing a separated wall of smoke that never disappeared. Turning his head around, he looks beyond what's close to him. To his left, a collapsed and scorching Night Raid base with smoke rising to the blue sky. To his right, a tree with a noticeable dent in the middle, as well as three bodies belonging to one or more of the platoons.

Rubbing his eyes, he sees his bare hand. Upon inspecting his forearm, his forearm had medium sized cut dressed in blood as well as a lack of Incursio. He assumed it was from absorbing the impact when he flew from the explosion and got knocked out. Looking down at his body, multiple cuts penetrated his clothing, with some very small blood pools forming around the affected areas. Moving his left leg, he found it to be extremely sore while his right leg was unresponsive.

A few crunches of dirt was heard and Tatsumi attempted to gain a look at the incoming person, attempting to force his head beyond what he could achieve. The person approached him, and that was when he felt his collar tug. He was now being pulled across the ground although with caution. His hearing somewhat unresponsive, he can decipher a yell formed by the person.

"I need some help over here!" Beyond what Tatsumi could perceive, two injured guards came up beside the one who called them and gripped Tatsumi's wrists, bringing them above his head. The calling guard revealed to be part of a middle section from one of the platoons, unslings his Imperial standard-issue assault weapon and starts aiming towards the smoke as if something was in it. Moving towards the feet of the incapacitated Tatsumi, the guard yells to start moving him. Tatsumi, in minor pain felt friction on his back as he was dragged along the dirt towards the direction of the capital. The armed guard steps back but maintains his position as part of the pack in a high ready position, aiming to protect the so called General's lover.

Tatsumi begins to lose consciousness, his arms losing all form of control before falling to his sides.

"Tatsumi! Stay with us!" With his vision fading, the yells become more quiet.

"Tats-" Gunfire erupts, cutting the speech but was quickly shut down. Two more yells erupt and Tatsumi's upper torso dropped to the ground with a small thud.

In a state of tunnel vision, he spots a dissipating white cloud of smoke, and what he saw at the very last moment he lost consciousness was a red checkered miniskirt.

* * *

Knock knock.

"Enter."

Within the imperial palace, the conference door room opens. Contained in the room was the ice queen herself contemplating. An imperial guard marches in to deliver a message. Standing straight with pride, he stands across from the sitting Esdeath, who is at the very end of the conference table.

"Speak."

"General Esdeath. One of our forward observation posts reported an explosion where Sir Tatsumi reported the Night Raid base. They've dispatched a team but guard platoons Buic, Broker and Aurelia were either missing or dead. The team is gathering up all the injured. It also appears that Sir Tatsumi has disappeared."

Even if he was supposed to deliver the message, the guard shivered in regret as the surrounding air became cold. He took a very quiet deep breath, closing his eyes as if he was to accept death at this very moment. Gritting his teeth, the air gradually got colder while the ice queen remained in her non-moving state.

The freezing cold air has now warmed in an instant.

"I see. Have General Budo assemble a force to search the surrounding area and to investigate the remains of the Night Raid base. Is that all?" Brief and straight to the point, Esdeath's mood seemed to have degraded.

"The Imperial Arms users are coming today."

"Yes. Thank you."

"General!" The guard stomped his right foot, took a sharp 90 degree left turn and walked out of the conference room. A slam of the conference door indicates the guard has left. Breathing in, Esdeath leans forward on the table, both hands folded into each other with her chin resting on top of it contemplating once more.


	2. Chapter 2: Discovery

**_Discovery_**

 _Ugh..._

Tatsumi mentally groans as he awakes from his forced slumber. Observing his surroundings, he was sitting against the base of a tree, the green leaves blocking the sun's final stage before setting down. Looking up and in between the leaves, a familiar orange tinted sky was painted, becoming more and more bleak with every minute passing. A beautiful sight but he couldn't be bothered to stare at the sky through the branches all day.

Looking beyond his immediate area, all he saw was trees and trees.

 _Great._ He sighed. Nobody was nearby according to what he could feel so he decided to perform a damage assessment on himself. Looking down toward his stomach, he sees the blood pools that formed though they are dry and no blood seemed to seep out. He proceeded to look for wounds, rotating his wrist to view both the front and the back of his hand. A white cloth was wrapped around his right thumb and right ring finger. Upon inspection of his right forearm, he recalled a medium sized gash that stretched all the way down to his elbow. Instead of finding the gash, a large white and tightly wrapped cloth around his entire forearm. Remembering the size of the gash, the cloth should've been stained with blood by now, though he was unsure how much time has actually passed.

The repeated sound cue of an approaching figure becomes relavent once more. This time she came in front of him. Tatsumi attempted to identify her but her features matched no one he recognized. Her auburn colored hair, white long sleeved shirt with a black vest, a white stick protruding out of her mouth, a red checkered miniskirt and headphones.

...

 _A red checkered miniskirt?_ His fighting instincts kicked in after connecting the dots. A three man team who attempted to save him was mercilessly eliminated and the last thing he saw confirmed his suspicions. He tried to stand up, but fell back down straight after. He was in no condition to engage with anyone and to think that an explosion of a large scale cost his ability to fight. The auburn haired girl simply shook her head in disappointment as when got closer, the option to stay and recover the most obvious choice and perhaps the only choice he could afford to make without causing any permanent damage. Looking at her hands, she was holding some torn pieces of cloth.

The expression on her face was emotionless, though movement of her mouth showed her licking and playing with the stick in her mouth. He continued to look at her approach, wary of what's her next action even though it may seem obvious. He wasn't sure if this person was an assassin working for Night Raid, a rival tribe or clan, or just some random person. He knew however she saved him for a reason and he had no reason to deny her aid.

When she arrived, she knelt beside the injured Incursio-wielder, she gazed at his face with focus for a few seconds before motioning with her hand that she's going to touch him. He silently complied with a nod and she begun to work. Grabbing his hand, she adjusted his right arm so it's a straight and much as it could be, finding the end of the wrap and unravelling it's tight grip. His right arm fell a bit loose as the cloth held his wound together as well as his skin. The final loop was unraveled and to her eyes, it was good news. The used bandage showed a lack of blood rather than a pool and the wound has started to heal and close up, though a noticeable yet light scar is starting to take its place. Placing down the used bandage on the ground, the auburn-haired girl placed the pile of cloth she brought with to her right. Grabbing a cloth she felt around with her hand before she shaking her head, raising the pile and putting it under.

 _Wrong size._

She corrected her simple mistake and grabbed another about half the size of Tatsumi's forearm. She inspected it and was satisfied with the length and width. The thickness didn't matter as all she needed to do was wrap it around one last time. Wrapping the cloth around his arm three times, she does so with precision before grabbing a loose corner and tying a knot to keep the adequate form.

"There," She mumbled quietly to herself, letting go of his forearm and proceeded to inspect the rest of Tatsumi's visible body. Her assessment of his damages showed that the forearm was the only significant enough damage to warrant constant attention. Other damages like small cuts or bruises required other remedies that were not available and even then they can heal well by themselves.

Tatsumi then felt his slightly torn shirt being lifted up by an external force, immediately gripping the bottom to keep what dignity he had left intact. She glared at him quickly, realizing there's no point in fighting it. She's only just checking for any other wounds that she didn't see. At least he hoped. Admitting defeat, he let go allowing her to access his upper body. She smirked slightly, lifting his shirt all the way up and ultimately taking it off, placing it to her left. She placed a hand on his chest and she can feel him heat up. Staring across his chest, as expected all of the wounds have either healed, closed up or bleeding very slightly that only a dot of blood presentable itself on the wound. The landscape she is looking at was a built up frame. Nothing too big but his chest and abs were prominent, evidenced by the outlines. She stared approvingly with an eyebrow raised.

In Tatsumi's mind he was screeching in embarrassment. He can see it in her face and it was so obvious but refused to acknowledge that some random stranger that picked him up and brought him to a location he doesn't even know was admiring his hard work. Scenarios like these were common or similar, however it'd be Esdeath instead of some girl. He really has transformed ever since he joined the Imperial Military under the ice queen.

The auburn haired girl realized she was staring a bit too long. Playing it off, she put on a serious expression, handing back his shirt which he accepted with no doubt. The air between them is awkward albeit dying down. He put on his shirt, taking a few seconds longer due to his injuries.

"...Thank you," he voiced out sheepishly, not forgetting his manners. She threw him a wink, smiling at the rare gesture.

"Of course, who wouldn't help you Tatsumi?" He sighed. She knew his name.

"I see you recognize my name." He didn't expect to be widely known amongst the capital or at least that's what he thought.

"I have my eyes and ears. Though I didn't expect the general's lover to bear an armor belonging to someone in Night Raid," she pointed out. He had no response to that statement other than not responding. She took out the white stick that was in her mouth, revealing a glistening pink sphere at the end. She's opened her mouth as if to explain something.

"The moment the explosion came off, rival clans around the area started converging on the area. One of the imperial guards was cut off and interrogated by the rival clan and discovered that was a...now destroyed Night Raid base. The information in itself isn't worth as many think it is, but looks like they've wanted a fight. Or weapons."

"Unfortunately for your buddies in the Imperial Guard, they're either dead or going to die. It hasn't been too long since I brought you here but I'm sure they're looking for survivors, including you." She pauses for a moment, Tatsumi quickly taking the initiative to ask a question.

"Why did you save me?" She gritted her teeth and sighed.

"You would have died if I left you there. Those clans would've either killed you or devoured you in the state you were in, and they might've grabbed your imperial arm."

"It's the lesser of two evils Tatsumi. I killed those that were picking you up because they would have suffered worse in the hands of them."

Those words echo through his mind, but in the back of his mind if what she said is true, then he would've been glad that she was there, that she gave them quick deaths even if they didn't know.

He didn't want to believe it. He wanted to believe that she killed them cause they were in the way. Because they were imperial guards. Because they were fighting for the incorrect side. He knows the capital is corrupt but he is in no position to argue. It enrages him, but he needs to exert this anger later. There would be plenty of time for that. Satisfied with her answers, he gives a solemn nod.

 _Well that answers all of my questions._ Tatsumi clears his throat and he hears a metal clang. Seeing the girl towering over him, there is a sword at her feet which happens to be the sword of Incursio. He looks at her confused.

"Why are you giving me my Imperial Arms back?" He questioned her, to which she shot him a wink.

"Because you owe me Tatsumi. Also, it seems my time here is limited." He blinked, focusing on the incoming noise. Confirming her statement, he heard footsteps trampling the ground. He nodded to her, tilting his head to ask more questions before she takes off.

"And how would I pay you back, Miss...?" His voice leaned towards the question of her name. She began walking opposite the direction of the footsteps before turning her head.

"Chelsea. And you can buy me a drink first thing in the morning in two days. I got to run, see you at the Third Cafe." She salutes him off with two fingers before continuing her original direction of travel. He raised his hand and opened his mouth to ask her another question on how she would expect him to trust her or would even buy her a drink, but she certainly knows the answer.

He would always return the favor.


	3. Chapter 3: Crossing's Path

_**Crossing's Path**_

He never really understood why Esdeath was so infatuated with him. Ever since he was recruited into the Imperial Military, not even a month passed and she already was interested in how he trains, what he does in his spare time and anything else that involves him. He particularly noticed this when he was off assignment before joining Night Raid, browsing through the capital's stores and shops. He's had a taste for luxury items but never saw it as necessary. He considered it an easy way to get robbed if he flaunted such luxuries to the public as the population seemed to do anything to make a quick buck, including murder.

* * *

 **Back then...**

Tatsumi looked behind him after hearing a jar shatter on impact and two Imperial Guards that appeared to be the cause immediately scrambled into different directions. Chasing after one of them and leaving the other alone, he caught up to his target, grabbing his collar and throwing him to the ground with a large clink signifying his helmet took the damage for him. With his torso facing up, the guard attempted to get up before Tatsumi, who was not ready to let him go, sat on his chest and placed a knife to the guard's throat, the edge of the blade millimeters away from piercing his skin. A few onlookers gasped, a few continued on with their day and a few circled the two, anticipating a possible fight.

"I will not ask again. I will only ask once. Who sent you to spy on me and why?" As much as Tatsumi wanted information out of the guard, he didn't want to injure or kill a person when there are people around and without a reason. He himself is not as savage as others when it comes to combat or executions. The guard stuttered. Although trained, he wasn't very aware of what Tatsumi's abilities and skills are. That made him unpredictable. He wasn't going to risk his life over the General's lover. He'd take his chance with the ice queen. At least she might give him a quick death.

"G-General Esdeath ordered us to wat-" He was cut off by Tatsumi retracting his knife. He stood up and offered his hand, to which the guard reluctantly accepted, not expecting the quick retraction. Standing up, he brushed whatever dirt he got on his clothes while Tatsumi inspected his helmet by circling around him. It didn't have much of a dent in it so he gave the guard a thumbs up though with anger. The crowd mildly dispersed as the situation de-escalated rather quickly. The guard and Tatsumi proceeded to look at each other face to face with Tatsumi sighing, rubbing his temples.

"She doesn't leave me alone, does she? I honestly should've expected this." Taking into account the moves she made after one kind gesture, it was bizarre for a person of her level to even be interested in a country boy.

The guard remained silent.

"Sorry for throwing you on the ground." Tatsumi apologized loosely, scratching the back of his head.

"It's okay."

"What's your name?"

"Takara, Sir Tatsumi." He cringed at that. Showing his obvious distaste in being called like royalty, he facepalmed.

"Just call me Tatsumi."

* * *

 **Now...**

Recollecting the memory pieces in his brain proved to his soul that emotional consequences were horrible. It's incredibly taxing and screws with his ability to do anything. He hasn't seen the return of any of the guard platoons he saw the day before, at least not in the recovery room with the exception of some severely injured guards. While resting he overheard a conversation with a fireteam leader and a imperial soldier that they were attacked in minutes after the explosion devastated the local area and started a small brush fire. He hasn't heard anything about Takara but he assumed the worst.

Followed by a impromptu meeting regarding Night Raid, they've temporarily stopped operations in searching for their base under the assumption that they are in the process of finding a new base. Tatsumi did provide an accurate description of each Night Raid member, with flyers posted around the entire capital. He just didn't realize how many members there were that have yet to be pictured but that is no longer an issue at least for now. Their numbers have been reduced by three and it'll take them time to find or reconstruct a new base or recommence operations without help from the Revolutionary Army.

It was considered a waste of resources and people to succeed infiltrating Night Raid and Tatsumi blew it all in the water when he failed his mission to eliminate Najenda. He's not all too bothered; he was all for the message of trying to change the capital because of their corrupt ways yet he never saw a substantial amount of death even necessary to be considered. If killing was necessary, fine. but including the civilian population as well as the high probability of massive causalities on both sides? He couldn't agree to pick what mental side to choose.

He'd have to figure it out for himself later on, but more pressing matters are in need of his attention: preventing Esdeath from torturing him or performing any sexual acts at least for the day.

When he was discovered by a fireteam patrol and returned back to the capital, Esdeath took it upon herself to heal him and tend to his wounds just to see him immediately. Of course he'd have to be punished for pulling a risky move; not retreating when he needed to and abandoning his partners. A brief explanation to Esdeath furthered her reinforcement to punish him to which he cursed at. Sayo on the other hand was upset, only seeing Tatsumi in the recovery room and calling him an idiot before leaving, announcing the fact she will be ignoring him for the entire day. Tatsumi laughed it off as Sayo wasn't that kind of person, but he did miss her company as she's the only one other than Ieyasu that is from their village.

Tatsumi however was glad that he recovered more quickly than usual, allowing him to leave the recovery room first thing in the morning the next day with only a packed bandage on his forearm. All because of _her._

 _"Why did you save me?"_

 _"It's the lesser of two evils Tatsumi..."_

He replayed that scene in his head multiple times attempting to decipher what she meant by two evils.

 _Is she a spy?_

 _Is she part of the Revolutionary Army?_

 _Is she some other assassin?_

He slapped his face at his failed attempts to connect the dots although subconsciously he is doing it to wake up from his state of sleepiness.

Walking beside his so-called lover Esdeath, they approach the conference room. She grabs two masks that were attached to her skirt. Giving one to Tatsumi, she motions to put it on his face. Complying, his face is now hidden behind an emotionless mask. How applicable. She followed suit after she kisses the top of his head.

 _We have business to take care of and I understand you are healing quite well. We're meeting the Imperial Arms users today, meet me in front of the conference room in ten minutes._

He disliked being ordered around but he's gotten so used to it under Esdeath he sometimes thinks he's turned into some kind of inhumane object. She opened the door, Tatsumi following behind her before turning his head to the left to look at the little get-together. He notices six people: a dude with a blue jacket and a red scarf with an anchor on it, a younger version of Akame eating a snack, a masked yet half naked person, a well-groomed person in a white coat, and some angelic person.

...

Thinking about it, he would've mistaken the angelic person for a missionary.

There was one more person who he didn't account for and that is...

Seryu Ubiquitous. Why should he even be surprised? She is an Imperial Arms user after all. She was a nice person who helped him out after getting supposedly lost, but he did so in a manner of being cautious; that he was being watched as he was in proximity of Night Raid.

Esdeath pointed to the group.

"What are you all doing here?"

 _Wait what?_

The man with the blue jacket stood up, wanting to explain their presence.

"Hey, we were suppos-" He was cut silent from a kick to the chest, throwing him all the way to the back wall. The sound of broken concrete ricocheted from the wall behind Tatsumi exaggerating the definition of strength.

Those at the table with the exception of the white coat immediately jumped to action.

Seryu and her Imperial Arms moved behind Esdeath while she engaged with the angelic person in hand to hand combat. While they were in the air, Tatsumi dashed and leaped forward in the air to intercept. He successfully hits Seryu's left side, sending her to the right, into the direction of Coro. Her sudden change of direction takes her battle buddy down with her, involuntarily twisting her body and landing on her back. Esdeath was well aware of Tatsumi's actions and the threat behind her, taking a final strike at the angelic person before falling back. Two steps echo through the room signifying Tatsumi's landing on his two feet, bending his knees to absorb the impact. Tatsumi and Esdeath stand in combat ready positions side to side.

Rapid footsteps were followed by a metallic unsheathing. Tatsumi turns around to face his opponent, but he only saw emptiness. Then her shadow of wind touched his skin. His mask begins to crumble, showing his defeat. Knowing that delaying the inevitable would show a stupid amount of pride, he let the mask fall to the ground piece by piece.

Esdeath suffered the same fate when she turned her head to the right, her mask now crumbling. Tatsumi stared at the young version of Akame sheathing her sword.

"What an amazing blade." She crushes her breaking mask, covering her right eye. Her facial features are revealed with gasps from the now assembled battle-ready team.

"General Esdeath!"

Following suit, Tatsumi crushes and removed the now fallen apart mask, revealing his face to everyone. The most surprised was Seryu, who stood up and put her hand over her mouth to suppress how she was feeling.

"Tatsumi...?" He turned around to see Seryu calling his name.

"Hey. Didn't expect to see you here." He jokingly said, smiling at her.

* * *

 **A few hours pass by**

He's already met the minister but seeing him again made him sick. A fat good-for-nothing waste of space Tatsumi thought the minister was. He wasn't as distasteful with the emperor although he still disliked him as he was just a kid. He can tell that the emperor was misguided since his living in the capital.

Voicing out his opinion to Esdeath, she had little of it regarding the minister because he needs her to maintain order and control. She can however do whatever she wants as she craves fighting and war, so it was meaningless. Back at the conference room, he introduces himself to the newly formed Jaegers team but leaving out the part where he was the General's lover, much to Esdeath's silent yet threatening protest. He believed that there would at least be one normal person in the team other than Seryu, and he was correct.

He found out the names of all the Jaegers with the exception of Seryu: Wave, Kurome, Dr. Stylish, Bols, and Run. Tatsumi was fortunate enough to talk to Run, Bols and Wave. Discarding that they might have had a rough past, it was nice to see colleagues who are normal for once. He proceeded to leave the conference room to head to his personal room. Opening the door, he only sees a storage room and not a bedroom. He can't sleep in his own bed as his lover forces him to sleep in her bed. He'd be okay with it if she didn't use him as a body pillow every time they slept together.

Tatsumi removed his formal attire of a black tux and switched back to his casual clothing, hoping to have some time to himself before night falls upon the capital and he gets deployed with the Jaegers. He dashes out of his room and through the halls to the front entrance, sighing in relief as he encountered no guards.

 _They must be out tonight. I guess they can take this night off, Night Raid won't strike this time under the circumstances. I wonder where they have gone._

"Oi Tatsumi!" Tatsumi stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly on his knees and comically crying.

 _I got caught, damn it._ He thought he was doomed, turning around to the person who called him. He exhaled in relief as a familiar blue jacket was lit against the setting sun. How many times has he thought he was gonna die, get caught or get in trouble?

"Oh, hey Wave."

"You heading somewhere? We're going to deploy in three hours since Esdeath wants to see us in action."

"Yeah, I was gonna head to a coffee shop or something." Tatsumi replied. Wave nods approvingly, relating somewhat.

"Getting coffee at night? You don't seem like a coffee kind of person." Wave noted.

"Ehh, I just got into it." He lied to him. He doesn't like coffee but it helps keep him awake for a prolonged amount of time. The crash and sleep that pursued was the worst part when he falls asleep on the job. A quick punishment usually follows by Esdeath, however he only blames her with his lack of energy.

He shivered at the thought of the punishments she's given. Getting whacked to having her suck him off was the tip of the iceberg. If anything the experiences ruined sexual activity for him, finding it more of a chore with his partner.

"Well, just be sure to come back fifteen minutes early just in case."

"Got it."

Tatsumi makes his way to the final door that leads to the outside. Pushing the knob, it opens with a creak revealing the dim sunlight through the open crack of the door. He steps out, and the door closes with a bang.

* * *

Tatsumi has another hour to kill after wandering aimlessly in the shopping districts. There was simply nothing to buy even with all the accumulated money he had left over after sending it to his village.

Recalling that he had to meet Chelsea, he started making his way towards the Third Cafe somewhere along the so-called redlight district's edge. He's only been there once with Leone and how uncomfortable he was just by being near. It's place in the capital was a major one ever since the beginning of recession; people turning to crime have made a lot of money and people who were criminals before are now criminal masterminds.

Approaching the outside of the cafe, it's location was marked by a large pole with the words imprinted on it: Third Cafe. The design of the sign was a brown background with pure white letters with a drawn cup of coffee. The brown background highlighted the space between the lines drawn for the picture, indicating it was drawn with chalk. The front was all glass windows, though some were hidden behind adjustable black curtains.

 _Looks modern._ Tatsumi complimented. He felt attracted to this place, making a mental note he should come here often. Opening the door, a bell rings from the abrupt entrance. Looking to the front, it resembles a bar with few seats at the front and taps on top and behind the counter. However to the left was the register and to the right was pickup. The door he came through was all the way to the right of the actual café. At the center, glossy wooden tables were placed accompanied with two or more chairs and sat at the right and left sides are booths that can sit a maximum of 8 per booth.

Some tables were set in place by wooden struts wrapped in rope that ran all the way to the ceiling. The place seemed alright, the lights were dim enough to prevent blindness but bright enough so one can see.

Only few occupied the building with most of them composing the bar-like stand. Three baristas made up the employee workforce at the time, and one of them was engaged in friendly chatter. Seeking to not make a lot of noise, Tatsumi walked cautiously towards the register and took out his wallet. Making a random choice, he chose a brew with a vanilla flavor in it. He didn't want anything too bitter. A barista rubbed her hands on a towel before throwing it under the counter. She adjusted her haircut moving it out of her face before flashing Tatsumi a smile and greeting him.

"Hello! How are you?"

"Hey I'm doing great, how are you?" Tatsumi greeted back.

"Doing great, thanks for asking. Anyway what can I get you started with?"

After introducing and greeting, Tatsumi ordered a brew with vanilla in it and paid, giving a small tip to the kind barista. She blushed, flashing another smile and thanking him. His back faced her as he went immediately at a booth to sit down.

"I'm beat..." Tatsumi moaned quietly. He didn't want to go back to the castle but he has to head back within the hour or sooner. Recovering slowly from his injuries, he failed to realize that his legs were responsive as they should be. He set his legs straight, stretching them as causing an involuntary groan to escape his lips. He covered his mouth and looked around in embarrassment but nobody seemed to mind. He laid back in the booth seat, closing his eyes and waiting for his drink.

"Tatsumi, your drink is ready!" He opened his eyes, corresponding the voice with the barista. Taking his time, he stood up and walked over to the pickup eyeing the cup that was filled with a brown liquid. He lit up and grabbed the cup after receiving a straw from the barista. He thanked her once more and head back to his seat. Placing the straw in his cup, he sipped for a taste.

 _Ah, this is pretty good. It's a little sweet. I'll order this tomorrow._ He sipped once more before placing down the coffee and placed his head down, collecting his thoughts silently. It was rather a quiet place and not like a restaurant which he was pleased with. He contemplated whether to stop by everyday or every other day. He decided he'll at least stop by once a day. Other than choosing when he should stop by, he reviewed the current events that occurred whether he was in the right or wrong, and whether or not if some choices were worth it. His mind drifted towards Chelsea, the girl who supposedly saved him from rival clans, to which she was correct according to the Imperial soldier he overheard while in the recovery room. Remembering what she looked like, she did however stare at his body while he was injured. Blushing at the thought, he shook it off and attempting to think about other things, but his mind refused.

He soon became drowsy and didn't bother moving to drink anymore of his coffee. He closed his eyes and left his body to rest in quiet slumber, completely forgetting he was supposed to deploy within thirty minutes.


	4. Chapter 4: Interpretation and Provenance

**_Interpretation and Provenance_**

 _Oh fuck!_ Tatsumi's head shot up immediately. He slept and leaned to the left, looking out the window. It was early morning.

 _Shit._

 _Shit!_

 _Shit!_

Tatsumi's mental strength could not fight against the power of sleep and fatigue. He banged his head immediately on the table, catching the attention of three different baristas who immediately went back to work after eyeing him for a few seconds. He realized that he missed the first deployment of the Jaegers, and that Esdeath wouldn't be too happy with his misdeeds.

He sighed in frustration, not wanting to get punished by her once more. How careless was he that he completely forgot about such thing. Ever since his failed assassination attempt on Najenda, the oncoming negatives outweighed the positives by a large margin. No matter what time he comes into the castle, he knew he'd be fucked and that staying anytime longer than what he had already missed would just worsen what he would receive initially.

 _Fuck me._

Throwing his safety, well being and manners out the window, he banged his head on the table again, and again and again.

"Excuse me, Tatsumi was it?" He stopped, but kept his head on the table.

"I apologize if I'm creating a ruckus. I'm just..." He apologizes profusely, unable to form the proper wording to describe his situation.

"I'm just a bit stressed out is all. Things haven't been going well and it's affecting me negatively." He released his thoughts out on the person he assumed to be the barista but refuses to see.

"Sir I think you may have to leave." The person sounded nervous, but Tatsumi fully understood why. He picked up his head to see a different barista and not the one last night. He made the assumption that either the barista forgot to wake him up or she didn't even notice him there. Recalling the sign that the shop does not close at all and that workers change every six to eight hours so she must've left not too long ago. He sighed looking back at his half empty cup of coffee.

"I understand, I shall go now." He grabbed the cup, but before he could do that something cold and sharp was against the back of his neck, ceasing whatever movement he was committing to. He turned his head toward the barista slowly. Killing intent was written on her face as an evil grin shadowed it. His eyes went wide and his heart began to pump a bit faster. Careful not to make any sudden movements, he slowly puts down the cup and lays his hands flat on the table. She nodded her head at his compliance.

Poof.

Feeling the cold metallic object leave the proximity of his neck, he put up his hands in defense before his eyes were blocked by clouds of white, before scattering into the air and disappearing.

Behind the disappearing clouds of white was Chelsea, smiling at him with her hands behind her back.

"Tch..." The incursio-wielder gritted his teeth, beyond angry that she faked being a barista to fool him and pretended to hold him hostage or kill him. It was a unbelievable situation that no one wants to be in. He most likely could've killed her if she kept the facade up a little longer.

"I really want to choke you out." Tatsumi threatened, crossing his arms and closing his eyes but she merely giggled.

"If you were into such thing I should've met you sooner," she replied with a serious face.

He blushed but immediately rebutted.

"How the hell am I supposed to respond to that?!"

"You don't." She answered coolly. He proceeded to pout by turning his head. He may be a significant figure in the Imperial Military, but he sure was childish. Taking the initiative to break the awkwardness, she sat down across from him. She revealed a lollipop and unwrapped it before placing the strawberry-colored in her mouth, closing her lips to hold it in place while a white stick that holds the sphere remains outside.

Although somewhat angry, he looked towards the sitting Chelsea. Many of the features he used to identify her were still apparent. While she toyed with her lollipop evidenced by the stick slightly moving, Tatsumi felt red form on his cheeks when he found what she was doing to the lollipop was a bit...sexy. It was reminiscent of his first time getting teased to this extent with Esdeath.

 _I wonder if she's good with her-_

"Ahh, you still owe me that drink Tatsumi." She reminded him, breaking his horny trail of thought. He shook his head before replying.

"What do you want?" He leaned toward the motion of getting up, mentally readying himself to take Chelsea's request. She stands up huffing.

"I can order myself, come along." She heads over to Tatsumi's side and grabs his hand pulling him towards the register.

"Wh-What are you doing all of sudden?" He stammered, slightly resisting but still following her.

"Getting you to buy me a drink!"

"You don't have to pull me like that!"

She let go of him once they reached the register. A barista who noticed the commotion Tatsumi was causing immediately headed to the register to take their order. The barista's mouth opened, briefly greeting them. Chelsea said her order and Tatsumi decided to order as well since he's already here.

"That will be twenty imperial coins." Surprising to the person whose paying, the price for coffee in the cafe was cheaper than mostly anything in the capital even during the ongoing recession. He couldn't help but think that since the prices are cheap, the cafe is losing more money than they actually gain. He'll have to ask one of the baristas later as he do commends them in his mind if they are working for the people rather than themselves. In the unforgiving world of the capital, it is rare to see this form of generosity.

He handed the barista the money with a seventy percent tip. Chelsea raised her eyebrow at the relatively large amount of money. The barista lit up happily, taking the money and thanking him, immediately getting to work on their order. They decided to wait out their drinks and went to the right of the pickup. Tatsumi leans against the nearby wall on his right shoulder while Chelsea stands in front of him leaning back on her right leg with her hands on her hip

"You're embarrassing." Tatsumi claims suddenly, describing her previous action.

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"You damn well know what I'm talking about."

"Buzzkill."

"Quiet, I bought you coffee."

"Quiet, I saved your life." She immediately smirked; there was no way he was going to win this one. He looks down in defeat.

"Have I repaid you in full?"

"A life for a coffee? What a wonderful world we live in."

"I suppose so then." Tatsumi retorted.

"Of course not."

"I know, otherwise we wouldn't be here."

"Tatsumi? Your coffee is ready."

 _That was quick._

Their heads rotated to the pickup where the barista was just placing their drinks on the countertop. The one that lay left was of darkish brown color and to the right lay a pastel color. Both over ice, Tatsumi grabbed both their drinks and offered the correct one to Chelsea which she accepted gratefully.

"Thank you."

Sitting in their respective booth, they both take a sip of their coffee. Recalling the sweet taste roll over his tongue, he drinks a few more sips before placing it down.

"Night Raid's got a kill order out for you to the Revolutionary Army. They're also looking for you."

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"True, but they're already coming back. You may have destroyed their base, but you just augmented their ability to kill you."

Tatsumi became distressed already. This information is valuable to the capital.

 _How does she know all this?_

Curious about her knowledge regarding Night Raid, he figured if this is the only information he can get, he must gather as much as he could. He just wished he was a person with effective communication skills.

"How do you even know this?"

 _Wrong thing to ask._

Tatsumi mentally punched himself, missing another shot to getting something remotely done with Night Raid. Chelsea seemed unbothered by this question, but prevented a potential answer leaving her mouth.

"..." Tatsumi began to speculate something was going on and began to look around. Ideas of why she brought him here begin to float around in his mind.

He needed to keep calm, relax and keep looking for anything suspicious. Nearby ornaments and design flaws in the building, view points that can be seen through the window and details prior or after her arrival. Recollecting his surroundings, nothing adds up to his probable own death. He failed to resolve that she wasn't here to kill, that she was here for an entirely different reason.

A few minutes in, he gives up with nothing to go on. The ice had melted in his coffee to where the taste is unpleasant and watered down.

"You really are an idiot..." Chelsea said with a sigh.

"Who else would know that Night Raid is targetting you after you destroyed their base?" She leaned forward to emphasize her point, almost face to face with Tatsumi.

He was really late at understanding the situation at hand, but her emphasis proved her point as his face was instantly masked behind a lack of emotions. He knew what it was. She tapped his nose.

"Bingo."

She leans back against her side of the booth opening the space between them once more.

"You're..."

"With Night Raid?"

She instantly smiled.

"Ahhhh, I can't help it. That expression on your face is cute." He immediately broke.

 _What the hell is she trying to do to me? What is with the casual flirting?!_

She smiled at him, continuing to lick her lollipop. He struggled to maintain his emotionless facade as he becomes flushed. He looked at her and wondered if her constant licking was just to tease him or to play with him. Unable to play his words carefully, he decided to ask again.

"So, are you?" Her smile faltered and in an instant she was beside him with a needle against his neck. He realized what she meant now and instantly wanted her to leave his personal space.

"Okay...I got it." She returned back to her seat without a smile and sipped her coffee. He decided against saying anything with the now two close encounters. Now met with another unfortunate silence, he seeked to break it again and to keep the conversation going. Grabbing his cup, he sipped his coffee and drank until it was half empty. She opened her mouth and he placed the coffee down, eager to listen.

"How'd a capital puppet join Night Raid in the first place?"

His blood grew cold and bit his tongue.

* * *

 **Back then...**

Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu were inside a snow-covered cabin, relinquishing on their jobs for the day. Tatsumi sat down on a sofa lazily, fluffing a pillow that was beside him and placed it on the arm rest before leaning on it. Sayo and Ieyasu sat next to the fire that burned in the fireplace, laying on their backs. They just finished shoveling snow from the clearing that identifies as the village's entrance, in anticipation for military arrival from the capital. A few days ago, they were told that after a month, they would be setting off to the imperial capital in order to get money for their village by working any job they can find, but the imperial military had the most benefits and a higher pay so they only sought for that once they start on their journey.

"Ahhh, I'm tired. Wake me up when they come." Ieyasu said, drifting off to a coma.

A few hours pass with the three fully rested. A large shout signified the military is coming. They step out of the cabin with the rest of the villagers, who have lined up in front of their houses with their hands behind their backs. The dimmed afternoon sky blocked by layers of snow and clouds failed to light up the line of military personnel en-route to their village about half a mile away.

As they approached, the distinct sounds of slow trotting were heard, and they were finally in the village through the main entrance. Tatsumi looked to his right to view the formation of soldiers. At the front contains four figures in diamond formation. The one he most likely he thought was the leader had questionable attire while the three following in formation were in black uniforms. The figure in question wore a white skirt combined with general's apparels with long sleeves and an imperial officer hat with a black cross. Her natural form composed of porcelain color skin and blue hair. What made her unique was a tattoo in the middle of her chest and the lack of anything remotely warm such as a jacket or coat.

Tatsumi's eyes had already set on her physique, her well established position and looks confirmed that she was some sort of high rank with the capital. Her intimidating presence fired Tatsumi up, making him eager to impress but held back. He looked to the end of the line of soldiers that followed behind the high rank, but he couldn't. The line he was able to see was a platoon of imperial military troops before the rest of the line disappears into the harsh weather. The imperial troops were dressed in black boots, grey coats and pants with a darker-grey tie and a black inner-shirt. Their helmets matched the color of their coats, and they happened to cover the entire head. They seemed to be dressed more formally rather than normal imperial guards.

The line of troops stopped among the high-ranks hand signal. The four figures hop off their horses and maintain their formation by foot, going in front of the horses. The village chief walks in the middle of the road with intent on speaking to the leaders of this company of soldiers.

"Welcome to our village, General Esdeath." He greeted the female leader with an open handshake. She returned the handshake, and let go.

 _General Esdeath?_ Tatsumi thought.

 _A general at our village? How lucky we are. Maybe it was sooner that-_

"Thank you very much, however our time here is very brief."

"I see. May I request the reason of your quickly announced presence here? Not that we mind, however if we had anymore time we could've prepared some festivities."

Esdeath chuckled at the kind offer, waving her hand and dismissing it.

"There is no need for that. However we do require a few things from your village that you may possess."

"Of course, General Esdeath. Anything we can give, we will give to you."

"My team here requires a select few of soldiers of your choosing. They will be trained under the capital's name but they will serve as my personal guards." Then a twinkle hit her left eye.

"And of course...assuming they survive, the money they earn will be split off, and sent to you." All the townspeople choked. They were already discussing how the village would earn money with the chief himself and it was decided upon the three. The chief, barely able to contain himself realized that this is the moment was dream come true. It was the earliest kind of opportunity that he couldn't drop.

While minor side chat arose, the townspeople looked at Tatsumi and his fellow friends, eyeing them and giving them limited signals. Sayo and Ieyasu looked towards each other, eyes wide as they can be understanding that this is was something they cannot miss. Even with the wording of survive, they are more focused on at least getting in. Finishing is the hard part and they all agreed beforehand they will all survive.

Both looked towards Tatsumi, who stepped out of line and placed his right hand over his chest but kept his left hand behind his back. Esdeath looked left and the chief looked at Tatsumi.

"The three of us have been selected. We will fight and train for the Imperial Military," he says with pride. The two beside him follow suit, stepping forward and placing their right hand, forming it into a fist and placing it over their hearts in unison.

Silence follows their actions and Esdeath eyes the supposed leader. She views him as determined and tenacious, but he needed to be more than what is visible even beyond the naked eye. She smirked at his pride and looked toward the chief, receiving a slight nod showing his blessing. She whistled and five horses trotted along the left side of the pack, before stopping.

"I see. We shall travel back to the capital. Hopefully you learned how to ride horses."

* * *

 **One month and one week passes, leading into a forest at the edge of the capital**

Ieyasu falls straight to the ground as both him and the figure beside him finished their running for today. With their shirts off, the sweat made their skin gleam when viewed through any kind of angle. Sayo then came in thirty seconds later, bending over and on her knees as she attempted to calm her body down and recover.

Since their recruitment, it took two days to reach the capital. Esdeath allowed them to settle in on the first day, but proceeded to test them the next day on everything including archery, gun handling, speed, endurance, and any form of mental exercises. The results varied among the three.

Sayo while very proficient in archery and gun handling, her speed, endurance and strength suffered the most. Her core strength however was perfect to match with her archery. Ieyasu was somewhat proficient in all, but lacked the speed and proficiency in archery. Tatsumi completed his test with proficiency in speed, strength, and gun handling but fell short with archery. Endurance was questionable as Tatsumi completely relied on his mental strength to keep his body in motion, but suffered more regarding his physical training that involved running.

They all passed the test, and this set the standard for them. They needed to train to get better as future hardships will be even more difficult than what they are facing now.

"Well done." Esdeath applauded, clapping her hands slowly.

"You've all made stunning progress within these past weeks. However I was informed of a situation occurring up North. It seems that my presence is required elsewhere." Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu all stood up, mentally their minds were devoid of any pain or fatigue as their leader addressed the issue at hand that needed her attention.

"Continue to train hard and remain in the capital for the next two weeks. As much to my disgust, two weeks from now you will be taking orders from the Emperor. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" They all saluted her, and Esdeath walked up to Tatsumi, a glint in her eye.

"Stay alive Tatsumi, I wouldn't want anything happen to you." He nodded in response to her concern.

"Of course, my love." He said with absolute. She smiled and slipped him a kiss. He broke his salute and held her waist, slightly pushing forward. She competed with him for dominance, slipping her tongue in for good measure and initiating a tongue war. Beyond Tatsumi's closed eyes, Sayo kept her poker face but something in her mind bothered her. She put aside her feelings for a certain brown-haired boy in order to focus on their training, but continued to ping her endlessly as they continued to have their make out session.

Pulling them apart, her face is flushed with sexual arousal as a trace of saliva appeared between them before disappearing. Tatsumi's eyes opened and his arms went to his sides. Esdeath departed giving a wink to Tatsumi before heading back to the capital, presumably to grab some form of transport and to gather her troops.

"Come on, we need to finish the rest of the workout. Rest can come later." Tatsumi ordered, and they gave a slight nod before they started jogging to another part of the forest to continue their workout for the day.

* * *

 **Two weeks pass and the trio knelt down in front of the Emperor**

"Tatsumi, are you certain that going to this extent will accomplish the mission I have assigned you?"

"Yes, sir. I believe that Night Raid's attacks only extend to people without a large number of protection. The protection can vary, but the environment can also play a huge role. As far as the research gathered by my team and some external contractors, this information is correct."

"Hmm...What do you think Minister?" A mouth produced a loud chewing noise behind the Emperor's seat. Prime Minister Honest's large body appeared to the left of the Emperor, more interested in the meat he is eating.

"Mm. As long as those pesky assassins are eliminated or you kill ex-General Najenda, the losses we will endure under his cover will have been worth it. General Esdeath has placed her trust into her subordinate, and you shall follow suit. Authorize it Emperor, and provide him with what he needs."

"Okay." The child emperor takes a deep breath.

"Tatsumi, under my orders, you are now sanctioned to eliminate Night Raid through whatever means you find decisive. Whatever you need, state it now."

Tatsumi grinned, a perfect idea that has been lingering in his head for the passed week can finally be revealed. He raised his head to face the emperor while remaining knelt on the ground.

"I need someone to cut my hair. I also need someone to find me and my team a way out of this region. We will handle the rest."

"As you wish, sub-commander Tatsumi."

* * *

 **Present time with Chelsea and Tatsumi in the coffee shop, morning sunrise now present**

"Smart." Chelsea remarked on his method of joining Night Raid, still curious as to how Night Raid would've been foolish enough to not see him operating in the capital prior to his mission.

"You think? It would've been a gamble."

"Not at all, the decisions you made were critical and allowed for a chance to get into Night Raid."

"However, don't think that you will get as far as you did with Night Raid back on track now."

"Really? How so?" He scoffed at her resolve, but she didn't reply. _As expected._

"Agh, forget it."

"I have no problem with that at all." She replied.

"I should kill you right now." He retorted, but all she did was dismiss his honest reply.

"Oh? I thought we were just getting to know each other. You even held my hand. A bit fast for a first date, don't you think?"

He fell out of his side of the booth. Standing up, he pointed at her, mildly attracting the attention of the baristas.

 _She just doesn't take anything seriously does she!?_

"YOU GRABBED MY HAND AND HELD IT!" He yelled comically, though his serious expression never faltered.

"And you're accusing me?" She gasps, opening her mouth and placing her hand in front to cover it as a joke. She was definitely riding this little gag she constantly reels him into. Clenching his fists, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths in an attempt to control his outrage that seemed to drown him whenever she pulls these kinds of jokes.

"I give up. There are more dangerous things but _**you**_ on the other hand..." He emphasized the 'you' in the sentence. She only seemed amused by his outburst.

"You are something else."

"Hmph, I thought the same of you too." He became intrigued at her choice of words that actually involved him.

"In what way?"

"That'll come in time."

"Meanwhile, why don't you explain to me how the assassination of Najenda went? I'm quite curious as to how you failed that encounter and managed to survive through escaping and evading the flat-chested sniper."

"That'll come in time." He repeated her.

"You're no fun." Chelsea said sadly.

"You are blaming me for things I haven't even committed!"

"Only because it's funny and the expressions you make are priceless."

"Bite me." He took another sip. Recalling his limited time, he decided to head out in thirty minutes. It gave him enough time to stay engaged in the conversation as well as hopefully reducing any kind of punishment he might receive.

"Sounds like you're consenting."

"Stop it."


	5. Chapter 5: Antecedent Relations

_**Antecedent Relations**_

"You need to stop with the sexual innuendos." Tatsumi ordered her, but met of course with failure as she had no relation to him whatsoever especially in regards to ranks, to where they had no affiliation with any kind of military or police force.

"It's just a joke Tatsumi. Can't two friends joke around each other?" She asked innocently.

"We're both friends now?"

"Yes." She said straight up.

"Don't you know who you work for, and who I work for?"

"Yes." She repeated herself once more, clearly showing her understanding of the situation and the circumstances.

Tatsumi kept his quiet after her repetition. Although he didn't admit it, he enjoyed the time he spent with her, even if she implied sexual themes and caused him to go angry a few times. It's a quick change he is attempting to adjust and get used to. In Night Raid, he still maintained his feelings for his comrades such as Sheele. Bulat however remained a different story that he refuses to tell, as he has never gone past the point where he had to eliminate both sides in order to make his side story he made up on the spot believable.

He's regretted the incident ever since. Eliminating Esdeath's subordinates was one thing and was a necessity to the mission. Eliminating Bulat was a more difficult approach as he appreciated his existence and relished the time he had with him. He pondered about it and considered the circumstances. Two conditions kept him in his place as Esdeath's guard, sub-commander and lover. He did enjoy sexual activities but still found it as a chore; being forced into it at times when he doesn't want to, just satisfying Esdeath's desires turned him off from sex or any form of sexual activity. He continues to find things arousing, but her constant reminders ultimately ruined his sex drive.

At least not until he met someone experienced with their tongue.

Unbeknownst to Tatsumi, he has subconsciously been eyeing the way Chelsea moved the lollipop in her mouth, constantly pitching a tent and adjusting himself the moment a lewd image appears in his mind. The aftermath of his ability to even bother with sexual activity has him sexually attracted to her. He would claim the same due to her constant teasing and sexual references, but he is still in the unclear of whether she would have feelings for him. He doubted it, seeing that it would complicate relations with the Imperial Capital, Esdeath and Night Raid if they were ever to commit to a relationship. It's a thought that never crossed his mind with anyone until she appeared.

He wondered about how that would play out, but she spoke breaking his train of thoughts.

"Tatsumi...why do you do the things you do?" She asked seriously. He observed the unusual Chelsea, her face lowered and expression seemed a bit depressed. A bit confused by what she meant, he wanted her to clarify.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you like...kill? Like working for Imperial Capital?" She timidly asked with a hint of melancholy.

"I...uh..." He attempted to tackle the issue in the best of words without sounding like a total bummer or victim. On the other hand, she was attempting to do the same but was having trouble to keep her feelings in check. She held it off behind a mentally created wall to listen to her now dear friend. The one she saved but doesn't truly know the reason why. She originally thought she saved him because it was a better and logical choice than having some foolhardy tribe getting their hands on legendary weapons. Now after hours of conversation, she feel as if it's something else. She put it against the back of her mind along with everything else held behind the mental wall, and listened for his reply.

"I don't feel very comfortable talking about this Chelsea."

"We've only known each other for...how long?" He asked her a rhetorical question to emphasize his point.

"And you've only helped me which I am grateful for. It's nice having a conversation and settling down but I already told you enough of what I've done, and what happened and to how I got into this damn situation in the first place." His frustration rose as she continued to look down, still listening to him but her hair now shadows her eyes from his view.

"I can't put an explanation behind it so please forgive me for that. I don't want to seem rude to you." He looked down, his frustration now gone and replaced with gloom.

"Not at all..." She whispered to him, but he was unable to hear her. With how the mood quickly changed, they remained quiet in each other's presence. It seems as if they only needed to be with each other to bandage the gaping hole they had in their minds regarding what it meant to kill, what it meant to them and why. She opened her mouth, raising her volume a little to cope with her cracking voice.

"I lost my team the other day during an operation. I was the only one that was left alive."

She continued on with her story with Tatsumi listening attentively albeit masked with a look of wretchedness, sympathizing with her but unable to even relate.

"I didn't want that to happen to anyone to Night Raid since I just joined. A day in, I saw the state they were in. They were cracked and crumbled. Najenda, she held the entire team together despite their losses. She seeked me out along with another one to replenish their lost force. They also split off a detachment of the Revolutionary Army to aid in their relocation, and more are aiding their recovery." She took a brief pause before opening her mouth.

"I shouldn't even be here..."

The movement of soldiers can be heard passing by. An order was screamed to search all buildings to locate any form of Night Raid. Taking that his signal to go, Tatsumi stood up though with a shattered expression. He hated to end it quick but he should see her another time, not when the guards are active. He'd have to explain to Esdeath why he was with another female.

"You better be here tomorrow." Tatsumi ordered her. This time she nodded, complying with his order and taking his words to heart.

"I will."

Tatsumi quickly left, turning his head to look at Chelsea again.

She placed her elbows on the table and her hands on her head. A sudden intake of air was heard from her although very quietly, and he quickly realized...she was crying. He stopped in place, severing all his ties in his mind with assassinations, his relations and his job. He wanted to-

No.

He quickly revitalized those connections and left the Third Cafe finally. As he left, a tear seeped down his face as he made his way back to the capital center unconcerned of whatever he may face upon his return.

* * *

 **Night Raid HQ thirty minutes prior to Tatsumi's Withdrawal**

A puff of smoke exhaled Najenda's mouth as she took the cigarette out with her left hand.

"The other reason I'm going to the headquarters is to recruit new members." Tatsumi felt his intuition trigger, still listening in to what she has to say.

"I hope they can spare some talented individuals, but I doubt there are any."

 _Shit. Najenda is leaving so soon?_ Requiring more time to think of what he can do, he belittled himself vocally in order to keep Najenda within radius of the Night Raid HQ even for few seconds.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough." He said, looking down as if he were visibly upset but wanted to hide it. Still remaining on mission, he pushed his emotions aside.

Even if he was attached to many of the members.

Najenda puffed out another cloud of smoke.

"You fought the Three who were key figures in Esdeath's army, considered among the capital's strongest."

 _They weren't that hard since I trained with them. Their attack patterns proved them predictable._ He remarked in his head.

"Although Esdeath's strength is unmatched, her army has clearly been weakened. When the revolution takes place, you'll have helped mitigate a huge concern."

 _Shit...That doesn't matter now. The capital will suffer no problem if Najenda or Night Raid is out of the picture. Those three, dead by my hand would not have died in vain._

"Not only did you save the lives of the people on that ship, you essentially saved thousands in the Revolutionary Army who would've had to face them." He mentally punched himself. That logic did not occur to him but he has to commend Najenda for being wise and intelligent. Still, he did what he had to do and this may be his only chance to lower the Revolutionary Army's morale and eliminate a key figure without significant retaliation from Night Raid, if they were to find out or discover him in the process.

"You're strong and you've done well."

Leone sighs at Tatsumi, looking to his right.

"I didn't want to inflate your ego, so I refrained from saying this, but Bulat once told me: Tatsumi's still green but he'll undoubtedly become stronger. As long as he trains rigorously, he may surpass me one day. I look forward to seeing that."

Tatsumi lingered at her words, but looked up to Najenda grabbing the bag filled with Imperial Arms and slinging it over her shoulder before walking away. His eyes widened, realizing that this is his chance.

"Be proud Tatsumi. Keep surviving. And become the man Bulat anticipated you to be."

He winced at that, not wanting to be compared to his dead friend.

"I'll be back." Tatsumi announced, heading back into the base. The three remain standing outside, a bit unsure what to do. Tatsumi quickly emerged out with his shirt on and Incursio holstered much to Leone's surprise.

"Hey, Tats-"

"Can't talk, a bit busy!" Tatsumi exclaimed, running into the direction Najenda left in and disappearing. Leone grew increasingly wary, questioning his actions. He had been naive to say such thing without gaining a lot of attention.

 _He doesn't act like this._ She thought. Immediately running after him, she noticed his speed was rapid, enough to outrun her in a full sprint. Remaining vigilant, she slowed down her speed. Both Lubbock, Akame and Mine followed behind Leone curious as well.

As Najenda approached the hill to leave the area, her eyes widened when she sensed killing intent behind her. She dropped the bag to lighten to the load and moved out of the way. A sonic boom echoed through the land as a onyx figure coming in went straight past her, going downhill. A large crater formed upon the figure's landing covered by a unusually small amount of smoke. The onyx figure dashed back up the hill a few seconds after he landed, Najenda turning around to see an onyx Incursio charging at her. On instinct, she dashed to the left and fired right arm towards the Incursio figure, hoping to alter his original direction. She landed with a roll and stood up to face toward her opponent, her mechanical right arm retracting back to it's original position.

To her astonishment, Incursio's features and size were distinguishable to correspond with a familiar member as he got walked closer.

"Tatsumi! What are you doing?" Najenda screamed at him hopeful for an explanation, hesitant to move. Tatsumi in the onyx figure refused to apply, instead turning his head toward the dropped bag of Imperial Arms. Looking back at Najenda, he sees three figures in closing in from the Night Raid HQ. He mentally cursed himself as he saw one figure stop. He dashed towards Najenda once more in an attempt to land a killing blow, forming Incursio's weapon Neuntote and pointing it straight towards Najenda's still body, her figure becoming large as he closed in. Unfortunately, Najenda anticipated this move, realizing that backup was on the way on her second dash.

She quickly moved to the left, and a ray of bright light was casted towards the onyx Incursio, which forced him to stop and change and sidestep to the left. The ray came in and while he sidestepped, his right arm got caught in the ray. A wave of pressure was now compressing Tatsumi's right arm and a familiar yet intense pain took place of the feeling in his right arm.

Holding out against the sudden pain, he lowered his torso in an attempt to minimize his profile and get his arm out of the ray. He rolled to the left and quickly assessed the damage to his body. No damage was suffered on his right arm's armor portion but he could feel the pain lingering in his arm. Questioning the balance to either get Najenda or the Imperial Arms, he remembers that Night Raid is able to push away their feelings in order to complete a mission or to defend one of their comrades.

Mentally cursing himself as this was his only chance to catch Najenda, he sprinted towards the dropped Imperial Arms that Najenda had in the bag. Another sniper shot came in, but this time he ducked under the ray, instead hitting ahead of him and creating a small crater. He arrived to Najenda's first position and was glad to see the bag and all the Imperials Arms were intact inside of it.

"Stop! Tatsumi!" Najenda yelled at him. Almost directly behind her, a trio followed armed with their signature Imperial Arms with blank looks on their faces upon realization that Incursio was attempting to kill their leader. That Najenda screamed his name.

Various thoughts flooded their minds as Tatsumi grabbed the bag and looked at them through the eyes of Incursio. Tatsumi decided to take a long route around. He had to return to the capital and return the Imperial Arms. Running downhill and going around, it was a matter of whose faster. He had to pass Mine and head back to the Night Raid HQ to get a signal out to Sayo and Ieyasu.

While they were ordered to maintain positions outside of Night Raid's HQ, they would go back to the capital and signal reinforcements if Tatsumi was discovered.

"Akame, Lubbock, go with Mine and try to intercept him. Leone and I will chase him directly. He stole the Imperials Arms gathered by the three. We can't let him get away," Najenda ordered the Night Raid trio. However Lubbock was hesitant since Tatsumi has been with them before Sheele died.

"But Najend-"

"No buts Lubbock. Tatsumi attempted to murder me and now has four Imperial Arms in his possession. It's clear what his motives are. We will talk about it later, now stop him!"

"Roger!" They all said in unison, proceeding off to their ordered destinations.

While they were talking, Tatsumi slipped passed Mine using Incursio's invisibility but she immediately turned around when he became visible. That's when he started to feel the after effects. He became fatigued but still maintained his pace towards the Night Raid HQ. A shot from Mine's sniper landed close to him however the resulting impact was less powerful.

Closing in on the HQ, he slipped through the training grounds and went right where there was an open door, passing by Bulat's sign. He went straight to his room wasting no time. Opening the bedroom door, he took a few steps forward before stepping to the left and sliding. He sees under his bed a familiar gun similar to a Imperial Military pistol and a small leather pouch and grabs it. Holding the gun in one hand and attaching the pouch to himself with the other, he stands up and readies himself to jump out of his window.

He ran at the window at full force, breaking it with a loud shatter and emerging from the base. Amongst the loud shatter was a scream. Unbeknownst to Tatsumi, Akame was at his door with her Imperial Arms in hand.

"Tatsumi!"

He felt the air go past him as he flew all the way down to the ground. He manipulated his body, getting ready to land. As he closed in on the ground, he began rolling in order to equally distribute the force landing. With a large thud and metal against dirt, he stopped and broke off into a sprint.

Thats when Incursio faded away in an instant despite his ongoing training. He realized that he kept it on for too long and that Mine's sniper must've did a number on the armor combined with his running and lack of sleep. Only his adrenaline ceased the fatigue temporarily.

He continued running into the woods and was now opening the pouch. It contained 6 metal cylinders with two of three different colors: Red, yellow, and green. Inserting one of the two red cylinders at the barrel, he closed the pouch and aimed the gun upward before pulling the trigger.

A large bang resonated from the gun, and the red cylinder shot upward leaving behind a red trail. He threw the gun at one of the trees he passed by along with the pouch. Keeping his head on a pivot, he looked if anyone was chasing him before looking at the sky. The sky ahead of him showed no smoke so far.

He focused on getting as much distance from the Night Raid HQ as fast as possible but then he hears a bang. His head immediately turned forward and he sighed in relief when he saw his team's countersign: a blue smoke shot in the air.

Remembering the azimuth to the smoke's location, he took a small turn. He needed to hide the bag.

He checked nearby trees for loose dirt with his foot. Taking two minutes, he's found a tree with loose enough dirt to easily dig up. He got on his knees and dug with his hands. He kept digging until it was big enough to hide the entire bag. He tossed the bag inside and pushed all the dug up dirt into the hole. After a few seconds, it was covered enough. He began running into the capital's direction, and hopefully meet with Sayo, Ieyasu or the reinforcements.

* * *

 **Present within the capital**

Things weren't as bad when he returned, and the Jaeger deployment went without serious interference or drawbacks according to Wave. Nonetheless Esdeath was disappointed and curious as to Tatsumi's disappearance, questioning all the Jaegers. Wave refused to say anything much to Tatsumi's amazement and Esdeath believed him. Tatsumi thanked him and Wave dismissed it as one guy helping another, but warned Tatsumi he won't be able to help him out if he's in a hitch with his lover again which he fully understood why.

When Tatsumi met with Esdeath after his long departure, he simply stated that he lost track of time and fell asleep in a nearby inn when he tired. He had to stretch the truth to mask his recent acts. Saying that he went on a date with one of Night Raid's members and enjoying himself to what he could was an answer he definitely could not tell. Not even his closest friends. She was bitter with him but he knew her too well. He showed her his smile and although not forgetting what he did, he alleviated the worst of the punishment and alternatively received two breasts to the face rather than any form of torture. He preferred the easier way out but his enemies may not be so merciful.

Stopping by his bedroom, he opened the door revealing a recognizable bed and cabinets.

 _I never get enough time alone._ He didn't even need to convince anyone, sitting on the bed before laying down on it, his feet still on the ground. Darkness filled the room other than the rays of light originating from the hallway he entered through. Looking for his grandfather clock, he spots it just across from the door. It was an hour after noon. He sighed, still having the rest of the day to do whatever he wanted. Although his condition was splendid, he decided to keep any excessive moving to a minimal.

Remembering his conversation with Chelsea and the moments after, his view of the capital's innocence became questionable as he deepened his thoughts. How Chelsea lost her team, he doesn't know but the answer was most obvious to him. He's witnessed the worst of what the Imperial Capital had to offer excluding Esdeath. His first engagement with Night Raid at Aria's mansion twisted him. Rather than a little girl trying to protect herself, it was some psychotic girl who tortured country people. With his heritage originating outside the capital, his anger had full right to take control of him and kill her with no remorse. The results were better than expected other than a satisfying kill.

Deciding to head out later, he undressed himself as lazily possible only to his boxers, leaving all his clothes on the floor. He moved up appropriately on the bed so his head is on one of the pillows. He looked to his left and realized the door was still open. He sighed, getting up from his bed and went to the door. Peeking outside, he spotted a familiar person walking down the hallway with her companion. She failed to notice him initially but she saw him regardless.

"Tatsumi!" She waved at him before running to Tatsumi's location.

 _Gh!_ Tatsumi shrieked, realizing he is almost nude and Seryu is closing in. Seeking the closest cover he hid his entire body with the exception of his head peeking out, closing the door to hide his back.

"Oh, Seryu. You came at a perfect time," he sarcastically said. She merely giggled.

"I believe I did since I ran into you Tatsumi!" She replied happily accompanied by a kew. "I couldn't believe you were part of the Jaegers fighting evil! And to think you tricked me..." An angry kew followed from Coro. Tatsumi scratched his head, analyzing her facial expression and tone. She had a nice smile but her tone made him queasy as she sounded upset.

"Ahhh~ I apologize Seryu. I was simply on assignment and I couldn't afford to expose my position." He explained to her.

"Hmm...Understood! You were infiltrating evil at the time so if anything I must commend your actions!" She exclaimed. Tatsumi, surprised with her reaction, smiled nervously.

"Ehehe, thanks."

"Oh, Tatsumi, I wanted to ask you a question but you weren't with us when we deployed!" Intrigued by her question, he responded.

"Im here now, ask away."

"Would you like to go on a patrol with me later today? Evil is brewing across the capital daily and it would benefit the capital to see the Jaegers patrolling the streets!" She said, followed by an affirmative kew from Coro.

Tatsumi originally hesitant with her request happily complied. He might as well pay her back for her services prior to revealing himself.

"Sure," he replied coolly.

"Great! Where shall we meet, sub-commander?" She asked him.

"Head to the front gate in five hours," he ordered. It was kind of unusual for him to be addressed by his rank despite the lack of any type of leadership training.

"Yes, sir!"

He closed the door while she went on her way. Walking back toward his bed, he jumped and pushed himself towards the middle, placing himself properly with his head on the pillow. Collecting his thoughts, he slowly closed his eyes and he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Predicament

_**Predicament**_

Three hours passed and Tatsumi never felt more relaxed and refreshed when waking up. He dressed up with the clothes he previously took off and was headed out, though still feeling the remnants of his sleep. He lightly slapped himself on the cheeks with both of his hands to wake himself up a bit before heading to the front gate. He had two hours to kill before his patrol with Seryu.

Thoughts went across his mind regarding the young yet dedicated female. Since most of her limbs were replaced, he was curious whether or not moving an arm would elicit any form of actual sense or awareness and how she uses utilizes such technology. Comparing his own arm, he can tell whether it's hot, whether something hurts or when it is being twisted of his own accord. He wonders how without pain is she able to understand that her arm has been injured or completely removed. He would have to ask these kinds of barbaric questions once they are on their patrol, figuring it was a way to pass the time other than constantly looking for trouble makers.

He scratches his head. It may be a bad topic.

As he continued to think, he arrived at the front gate with two Imperial Guards armed with Imperial Standard Issue weapons in an arrow formation, guarding the sub-commander. His thinking dismissed them from his mind, with his conscious failing to realize their presence. He waved his hand dismissing them.

"No need for protection. It is appreciated."

"Sir," they responded, saluting at their higher up and returning to their original posts remarked by the sounds of their boots hitting the floor becoming less audible.

He tilted his head up to look at the sky. Other than the obvious tint of blue, it was a bit bright with the angled sun signifying that noon has passed. It was around three and the sun began showing signs of setting.

* * *

Progress developed in the capital since all members of Night Raid excluding Chelsea and an unknown person were fully drawn and distributed to the public. A book store called "Night" was torched and burned during midday. The owner of the bookstore matched all the physical features of Night Raid's Lubbock, with the most distinguishable feature that confirmed it was his green hair and his accessories. Tatsumi wondered that since Lubbock owned a bookstore within the districts, that how manny bases or safe points that Night Raid established in the capital

As far as he knew, the Revolutionary army's resources and personnel are vast, expanding into the capital and outside. The Imperial Military, while under indirect strict leadership from the Prime Minister have took multiple measures to counter current and developing methods from the Revolutionary Army. They took into account and see more of a large guerilla force than an established military. Guerilla tactics has made finding spies, stockpiles or anything that was of use to the Revolutionary Army difficult.

While walking around, Tatsumi noticed multiple armed guards from the outer districts running closer to the capital. He followed them, assuming it's going be a situation where it may require his presence.

Following the trail of Imperial Guards, they get on the main road and divert to the right. Straight ahead however is a large crowd moving towards the direction of the capital. Looking around and rotating his head, Tatsumi sees smoke rising in various locations around the districts. The crowd at his current position weren't reacting to the smoke and seemed to go about their day. It wasn't some kind of attack initiated by some outside force otherwise the citizens would be in disarray rather than a crowd, and the Imperial Police would be escorting the citizens or calling them out to leave.

 _Riot._ Tatsumi confirmed in his mind, and he began running straight into the crowd to get to the capital. He safely assumed that the riot was contained near the capital center. Riots rarely happened due to the amount of force the Imperial Military and Police would use, and any form of rebellion can be met with death. This appeared to be a special case, as the riot has spiraled out of control and was drawn out to other districts. Normally, a congregation would be eliminated through the presence of the military or police, armed with their standard gear. It was enough to stop potential upheavals.

Pushing through his way through the crowd, the level of destruction increased as he got deeper. Every building, left or right was either destroyed or trashed to some extent. Some were looted and ransacked. One building was on fire evidenced by the smoke slowly rising into the air but that's not his concern. He continued moving through the crowd and the loud chants of the people entered his hearing.

The crowd was bigger than he thought. The streets became extremely dense with people on their way to the capital center, only blocked by presumed Imperial Police or Imperial Military. Looking to his right, he sees an empty alleyway. Tatsumi proceeded to maneuver his way out of the main street to the alleyway.

Out of the way, Tatsumi ran through the alleyway while making sure all his gear was intact and present. His sword remained in his holster, but he kept his hand on it, ensuring it remains in place. Exiting the alleyway, he encounters another road and looks to his left then right. A noticeable decrease in the amount of people calmed him, but kept him on his guard. The buildings within the area he was in were locked tight, but broken glass and random pieces of trash were littered all over the road.

Continuing his run, he runs left towards the smaller crowd, closing some of the distance between the capital center and him. Ahead of him, he is taken aback by a Seryu accompanied by other members of the Imperial Police only armed with swords. Looking at the Imperial Police, Tatsumi observed that those armed with swords or guns weren't using them, and were instead using vocal diplomacy. It alleviated his worries but he immediately ran to their aid.

With Coro behind her, Seryu along with the Imperial Police she was with were attempting to soothe the population they are dealing with. She understood that eliminating citizens who are in part of the capital would just drive them to maintain their level of unrest.

"Seryu!" Tatsumi yelled. Her attention diverted to him and they shared a look of delight. He pushed through the line of civilians, and made it through the man-made barricade.

"Tatsumi." She acknowledged his presence verbally, shooting him a smile. Upon inspection, Seryu's armor appeared to be lightly scratched and dusted with some kind of powder.

 _She must have been doing this for quite some time._

Tatsumi felt something hit him physically as he was forming his thought. He looked down and viewed an empty can, presuming it as the thrown object. It didn't seem to affect him at all but he simply shook his head, only slightly annoyed.

"Move back!" He yelled.

Reforming the defensive line to straighten it, the Imperial Police now felt confident and empowered. A total of 10 personnel occupied and blocked the street. Five including Tatsumi and Seryu were the main line, while the three other officers were behind the front echelon, waiting to step in whenever needed. Seryu gazed are Tatsumi. If one weren't so focused on the riot, they would have caught her perhaps adoring him.

"I need you guys to stick with me and move when I do!"

"Roger!" The entire squad of officers replied.

"Ready!?" Tatsumi asked. The effect of his loud voice echoed through the filled streets, scaring the citizens and forming the psychological barrier the police desperately needed.

"MOVE BACK!" The front echelon took one step forward, the officers using their shields to block the civilians and incoming objects. Continued metal clangs were heard as incoming objects collided with the shields. The push was effective, covering at least two meters and clearing the citizens a few meters ahead of them. The uniformity of the push was enough to get distance from them. Tatsumi looked back towards the rear guards. They acknowledged his stare and two of them moved to his place. Replacing him, Tatsumi grabbed Seryu's collar and dragged her lightly away from the line.

Continuing to drag her, an increasing number of footsteps became quickly audible from behind a building to their right. The origin of the footsteps came into view, and it was clear that they won't have to deal with such situation no longer. A squad of Imperial Military were in a column formation, armed with riot shields and swords, ready to reinforce the Imperial Police. Tatsumi let go of Seryu, and she was indeed ecstatic.

"Finally, some support for our fellow justice defenders!" She cheerfully stated. Tatsumi nodded in approval.

"Ah, however we are still needed. Let's move inward towards the inner districts." Seryu agrees, and they both ran to their next objective with Coro kewing with delight. Seryu glanced Coro.

"Sorry Coro, you'll have to wait to eat some evildoers a bit longer!"

The riots continued beyond both Tatsumi's and Seryu's sights. Multiple districts are now under control of the civilian population and a joint force of Imperial Military and Imperial Police have mobilized to contain and separate the districts. Excluding outer districts, the middle and inner districts within the southern and south-eastern portion of the capital have fallen to citizen control. Any form of authority that existed within those districts be it police or military have either been killed, are currently fighting or have left the district.

The Capital's defense can be observed in different numbers, but a total of three ground armies and a naval unit counts up to three hundred thousand to six hundred thousand troop strong. Including the Imperial Police and Imperial Guard stationed within the capital center is a one hundred thousand addition, with the Imperial Police taking 90% of the force.

Because of the relative large numbers, a strategy was devised by the three major generals of the Imperial Police. It was decided that two divisions would participate while one remained on active policing duty in the non-active districts. Two regiments of police were dispatched to set up checkpoints along the East and West districts, splitting the entire capital from North to South. Two brigades were dispatched for the active riots. The Imperial Military stationed within the capital which sized about one field army, reinforced positions outside of the wall which surrounded the entire capital as a result of the ongoing civil unrest. Within the capital center, the Prime Minister Honest and the Emperor enjoyed themselves albeit informed of the current situation. They left it to General Budo, whose idea was to send multiple regiments to assist with the ongoing riots while reinforcing the presence at the wall.

Near the border, activity intensified as some citizens have met with serious suspicion. Checkpoints that formed along the East-West axis of the circle were heavily limiting movement between the main streets, only letting officials and important military figures through with good enough intention and reason. Commanders of dispatched companies ignored alleyways, citing from their higher ups that crowds gather usually in open and large spaces and that it would be a waste of time. Checkpoints that were established mainly dealt with civilians wanting to view to view the ongoing riot or to check loved ones.

A view from the ground showed multiple smoke trails heavily rising from the south/south-east portions of the capital. With wind, the smoke dissipated vectoring east, effectively blocking the sun and choking the amount of daylight that remained.

While the Imperial Guard were stationed within the castle itself, the riot beforehand closed in dangerously close to the capital center, thus requiring a deployment of the skilled personnel to deter citizens. The chaos itself wasn't large, as most items thrown at the peacekeepers were soft. Some other items packed a larger punch such as bricks. Reports from the health administration of the Capital state that during the riots between three o'clock and seven o'clock, 532 Imperial Police were injured, and twenty died as a result of the riots. While the riots near the capital center remained strong with civilian passion, riots elsewhere dwindled as people returned to their homes. The joint task force of troops pushed inward but didn't arrest. As they continued to push, only three miles remained from the capital center to the incoming force. Rioting citizens were surrounded by both sides.

Tatsumi and Seryu held the front echelon while Wave and Bols held the rear guard, assisting in the arrests of violent protesters. Behind Wave and Bols are Imperial Guards armed with guns, originated from the capital center.

The citizens in the front were chanting, stomping in unison in attempt to break the mental barrier between the two sides, a usual occurrence with any kind of riot. While the Jaegers were not trained in and for riot situations, they all were hesitant but agreed that killing anyone will just spark the flame the continuing attempt of anarchy is aiming for.

Though the ranged Imperials Guards seem to think otherwise.

A bottle of water was thrown at Wave, making contact with his head evidenced by the sound plastic crushing. One of the armed guards left the formation, aiming his gun at the perpetrator.

"You think you can get away with that?" The guard yelled as his weapon raised, leaving the perpetrator running off in fear but an external force identified by a blue haired Jaeger pushed the gun straight down.

"Stop!" Wave commanded the guard. Leaving his gun aimed towards the ground, the guard complied realizing the flaw behind his logic. He nodded and returned back to the other guards in formation.

A loud banging of the metal shields echo behind the civilians as try to push and attack the barricade formed by Seryu and Tatsumi. The joint force closed in and proceeded to seperate the congregation, only arresting the most violent of the people. The riots were finally dying down. Tatsumi breathed, a sweat trailing down his

While relieved, most of the established task force were shook up— Given the circumstance that previous revolts and riots hosted within the capital are put down with force before they stir up, most police and military have never dealt their with riots before. Some were wearing their riot gear for the first time.

Unbeknownst to the Imperial Police Lieutenant General and General Budo, a large number of danger beasts were en-route to the capital, taking the form of a what used to be a human, now a distorted version that was problematic to take notice.

As ten o'clock approached, reports began to pile up about danger beast attacks outside of the perimeter and proceeded to keep coming. By the time the top generals including General Esdeath, General Budo, and the Imperial Police Lieutenant General were briefed about the new danger beast threat, the field army stationed outside suffered rough losses and had a mass amount of wounded.

A rough situation the capital is put in; dealing with a new danger beast threat that puts standard patrols, outposts and the security of the capital at risk.

There also remains the looming and heightened threat of a revolution, reinforced by mass deployment of troops and the largest riot that occurred within the capital to this date.

* * *

 **Twelve o'clock.**

The results of the event were detrimental to the capital— a large number of injured Imperial Police and Military filled hospitals and clinics, and morgues were filled with dead citizens and military alike. Although the riots were finally dispersed and finally gone, recovery was slow and the deployment of the military remained active shown by large numbers of patrolling imperial police accompanied by the military. The checkpoints previously formed were now removed and the troops that occupied them aided in recovery efforts.

Because of the reduced amount of troops, Esdeath recalled all the Jaegers and set them in pairs. She sent them southbound to destroy the new danger beasts, as well as set them as first line of defense incase of any revolutionary activity.

The sweet smell of the night sky and nature fills Tatsumi's nose as he inhales. He exhales out of his mouth, walking forward and keeps rotating his head, eyeing for anything of interest. In front of him, Seryu walks at the same pace with her Imperial Arms following closely behind without a leash.

To his left, a trail leads away from the Imperial Capital with trees and more trees covering it's left and right. The trees leaves remain quiet, only moving ever so slightly but refusing to make noise. Tatsumi sighs, only satisfied with the rather quiet patrol. He was assigned to pair with Seryu much to his surprise, making up the missed patrol with her due to unforeseen circumstances. Though he was dissatisfied with the amount of time that they need to consume while the military and police get back on their feet.

The danger beasts the military force encountered weren't normal danger beasts. In his meeting with the Jaegers and Esdeath, it was described that the danger beasts resemble humans, and have random variations in armor. Armor embedded within the skin and significant pain tolerance, they would be more than a normal opponent. In any case he would be ready for it.

Seryu stops in her tracks and Coro kews in response. Tatsumi ceases moving and his right hand goes toward his sword, ready to draw. They both visibly move a little bit, as if they were trying to listen to a whisper. A small displacement of the air occurs slightly, rustling the trees around them. Another rustle confirmed his suspicions and he immediately took out his sword on instinct. Eyeing to his left, he looks for the threat that was nearby.

 _Seryu and Coro should be able to cover me. Just focus on keeping our back secure._

Tatsumi's eyebrow raised when he no longer felt an enemy presence. A large chink accompanied his action of holstering Incursio. He looked forward, met with a large, white and rather thick weaponized pillow; biological Imperial Arms Hekatonkheires in it's full form, but remaining still.

 _What's going on? She's not mov-_

Tatsumi's question was answered when a large protrusion of skin taking the form of large sphere popped out of her Imperial Arms, before being sucked back in with a large gulp.

Tatsumi felt a sweat drop along his left temple.

Seryu walked beside Coro and gave it the biggest hug possible.

"Good job Coro! You took down the danger beast within a few seconds!" She let go of it and it returned to his normal size, walking calmly back behind it's master and assuming it's rightful place. Seryu turns her head and locates her partner with a somewhat startled look.

"Tatsumi, are you okay?" She runs to him face to face met with the same startled look he had. He nods in head.

"Y-yeah...Seryu, Coro ate the danger beast we were supposed to be looking out for, right?" He questioned to which she affirms with a nod and a salute.

"Yes sub-commander."

Tatsumi blinks. He expected an explanation, not just a confirmation. Sighing, he responded looking stern.

"Forget it. However next time Seryu,"

"Please bring one back alive."

* * *

 **[A/N] : This is part one of Chapter 6.**

 **It was a long time that I haven't updated this story yet and I apologize. I somehow lost my motivation over the one-two weeks that I was working on this story. The amount of words I put into this story increased overtime then I just lost it in Antecedent Relations. Before that, I finished Chapter 4 and quickly moved on to it, writing one thousand words within ten minutes then I just stopped.**

 **Some research took place in part of this chapter, as I wasn't too sure about the Imperial Capital's Military and Police capacity of people. This should clear the air with those unfamiliar with military units and sizes. According to the wiki it stated three ground armies and a naval unit for the Imperial Military. Ground armies consist of 100k-300k troops. To put that into perspective, we're talking three hundred thousand troops to almost a million. I also used some typical ranks associated with these and some unit sizes (ex. Battalion, Company, Regiment)**

 **6.5 will be out within a day or two, which brings this story to more than half finished.**


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